Tractor or auto wheel.



UNITED- STATES PATENT OFFICE.y

JOHN T. LEINBERGER, F BAY CITY, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOB 0F ONE-THIRD' TO JOHN KOL'B AND ONE-THIRD T0 MORITZ KOLB, 0F BAY CITY, MICHIGAN.

TRACTOR OR AUTO WHEEL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed October 30, 1915. Serial No. 58,816.

' exact description o the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same..

This invention relates to a wheel especially adapted for -use on tractors, motor trucks or various other self moving vehicles.

It is the object and purpose of my invention to provide a wheel of this character which will present an ordinary smooth appearance but which when desired, may be operated to have earth engaging prongs projected therefrom adjacent its lower surface, the prongs projecting progressively with the movement of the wheel ovcrxthe ground so that as any portion of the wheel approaches the ground the prongs are projected therefrom; This gives the appearance kof a smooth .wlieeland the eifect of one provided with members for making a firm engagement between the wheel and the ground over'which it moves.

A further object of the invention is to providev a device of this character having a smooth exterior which when it passes over pavements or smooth roads or the like, may be rendered inoperative so far as the projection of the prongs is concerned, the road thereupon not being torn up or` injured in any `manner by the wheel.

Various other objects and purposes together with novel construction for attaining the saine will bey apparent upon understanding of the embodiment of my invention disclosed in the accompanying drawings, in which;

Figure l is aside elevation of the wheel with a part of the housing thereof removed. Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken centrally through the wheel. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail of a movable prong member showing it projected beyond the outer surface of the wheel. Fig. 4 is a fragmentary side elevation of the wheel taken from the side 0pvposite to that shown in Fig. 1 and with the other side of the housing` and the hub of the wheel removed. Fig. 5 alview similar to Fig. 3 but showing a slight modification in structural detail.

Like reference characters refer to like parts throughout the several views of thek drawing.

In the construction ofy the Vwheel an outer band 1 of circular outline is provided which is positioned around and spaced a distance from an inner housing member includ-ing an inner circular band 2 integral with which is cast a web 3 and a hub 4, the hub being passed over a shaft oi' axle 5 of the vehicle.

'The outer band 1 is spaced from the liensing by sleeves 6 and is connected thereto by rods passing through the sleeves and bands 1 and 2. said rodsbeing headed at their ends as indicated yat 7fto make a permanent connection.

Between each pair of sleeves G is located a rod 8 which passes through `tlie 'partQ and is flattened and formed with a pointed end or prong as shown at 9. `Nlorinallythe prong is located within the boundaries of the wheel made by the bandl and is held in lsuch position b v a coil spring 10 which is Apositioned around the rod 8 being secured'at one end to an ear 11 formed on tliepart 2, its other end passing through an opening 12 inthe outer end of rod 8. This spring has a tendency to withdraw the rod and Patented Oct. 17, 1.916.

force it'inwardly so that the ends of prongs 9 will be located ,within the band 1, openings, however, being provided in saidband to permit the prong to pass therethrough'. A slight modification in the structure is shown in Fig. 5 in which a bar I3 pa ses Within the housing is positioned a. vplate i" 1,4 which at its lower end has portions Vbent out at right angles to the plate and curved to form a cam as indicated at 15. The lower portion of the plate 14 iswidened wir its upper portion is comprised of spaced sections 16 which pass between guides having lips 17a extending over said ser 16. The space 18 between the sections receives the sha-ft Vor axle 5, the mem .fr 14 being mounted to move upandl down in' thel guides. At its upper end plate :i4

provided with upwardly extending space-ii apart ears 19.

ba slot in the'housing member 20 and having pivotal and Vislidable connection with the ears 19. A rod 25 leads from the upper end of arm 2 2 to any convenient location for manual operation thereof, it being evident that by pulling on the rod and moving the bell crank lever to occupy the position indicated in dotted lines inv Fig. 2 that the '.4 and attached cam 15 will be ele- 'and made to occupy the` position .sho-wi in Fig. 4, in which all of the spring ,Y ld rods 8 are retracted and a smooth outgr.- surface to the wheel presented. The normal position of the plate 11 however, is the lower position, it being normally actuated by compression spring 26 which is interposed between a lug 2T cast vintegral 'with the arm 22 and the end of a bracket 28 which may be cast integral' withor otherwise secured to the sleeve 21, a rod fixed tothis bracket passing loosely through thelug 27 to hold'the spring in position.

In operation, when the plate 14 with its attached cam isl occupying its normal lower position as lshown in Fig. 1, as the wheel rotates and the spring operated rods 8 come into Contact with the cam, they are forced .outwardly Vin' this manner projecting the prongs 9 beyond the surface of the band 1 as shown in Fig. 1. prongs will occur shortyy' before said prongs enter the ground and the prongs will remain in projected position until after removal from the ground. The remaining prongs on the upper surfaces of the wheel and at each side occupy their normal inner positions whereby the wheel presents a smooth appearance. Accordingly 'it will be evident that /the projection of the prongs occurs only for the time that they are in actual use.

Fron/i/the foregoing it will be apparent that I have provided a motor or tractor whe/el which While of simple construction is very efficient for the purpose desired. This' wheel can be passed over pavements or hard roads without any impairment thereof, the:

Wheel acting in such cases as any ordinary smooth surfaced wheel. Further llore reason of the projection and retrag tion of the ground engaging prongs any earth that might adhere to the prongs is removed and each time a prong is again projected forv engagement with the ground it presents a clean and unobstructed body, the advantage of w ich will be obvious.

The projection of the' Various changes in structural detail may be resorted to without departing from the invention which is defined in the appended claims.

1. A wheel comprised of ahousing member including a hub, a web extending therefrom land a housing band lying substantially parallel to the hub, an outer band located around and spaced from the housing band, sleeves interposed between the outer band and housing band, rods passing therethrough and headed on the inside of the housing band and outer side of the outer band, rods passing through the housing band, prongs on said rods normally lying inside the outer band, said band having openings to pass 4said prongs, a tension spring attached to each rod and the housing normally drawing the prongs inwardly, a stationary housing member closing the side of said housing, guides thereon, a plate slidably mounted on the guides, a cam at the lower end of the plate to engage thel rods and project them outwardly as the wheel rotates, a bell crank lever mounted on and having an arm projecting through said housing member and connected. to the plate, an operating rod leading from the other arm of the bell crank lever, a lug on the second arm, a rodlpassing therethrough, a bracket to which said last named rod is secured,

yand a Spring around the rod between the inside the outer band, said band having` openings to permit the passage of said prongs, 'a tension spring attached to each rod and the housing band normally drawing the prongs inwardly, a stationary housing member, including a sleeve, closing the side of said housing, guides thereon, a plate slidably mounted between the guides, a cam at the lower end of the plate to engage the rods and project them outwardly as the Vwheel rotates, a bell crank lever mounted on the sleeve having an arm extending through said stationary housing member and connected to the plate, means to operate said bell crank lever, and spring means tending to move the bell crank lever to position to thereby force the plate and attached cam to lower position, substantially as described.

3. A wheel comprised of a'housing member including a hub, a circular housing band positioned a distance from the hub and means connecting the hub and band, an outer band located around and spaced apart from 0n said housinv members Within the housthe housing band, means for connecting the ing, a plate slidably mounted between the outer band rigidlyv to the housing band, rods guides, a cam at the lower end of the plate passing through the housing band, prongs to engage the rods and project them outon said rods normally lying inside the outer wardly as the wheel rotates, and manually 15 band, said band having openings to pass said operated means for elevating the plate and prongs, a tension spring attached to each attached cam, substantially as described. rod and the housing normally drawing the In testimony whereof I affix my signaplongs inwardly, a stationary housing ineinture. 1Q ber closing the side of said housing, guides J OHN T. LEINBERGER` 

